The School of Movies Archive

[Digital Gonzo 2011]

Part 1: Enter Bond.

James Bond has been thrilling us  all for over four decades and it’s high time we discussed this unkillable agent in detail.

So there are 22 movies, two unofficial releases and a boatload of hallmarks/cliches to chew over. The villains, the ladies, the guns, the gadgets, the cars and of course the men who have stepped into the tuxedo of 007. But since we never claimed to be the least bit objective on Gonzo this is a show charged with rabid opinion, and when the lows hit, we tear into them with the ferocity of Onatopp and the sharp-tongued witticism of Moneypenny.

This first week we cover the six official Connery films along with the brief in-and-out appearance of George Lazenby. Find out which films in our less-than-humble opinions are gems, which are duds and prepare to be reminded of the sheer, facepalm-inducing stupidity of the many many goofball moments in this notoriously inconsistent series.

1. Dr. No

Guests:

James Batchelor of Bond and Beyond

Gary Blower of GameBurst

[Digital Gonzo 2011]

Daniel Floyd is back with me to tackle the most expensive, the most successful and arguably the most eagerly awaited of all Pixar’s films. We track the production of what is at present the fifth highest grossing movie of all time and things get a little emotional near the end as we say goodbye to the toys.

Guests:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

[Digital Gonzo 2011]

This is the third Pixar movie and the second Toy Story installment; 1999’s Toy Story 2. For over a decade fans of these movies have been debating which of the two were better. Then Toy Story 3 came along which made things… complicated. So in this we dive into the merits and deeper aspects of this fantastic follow-up. By all means not perfect, but considering the straight-to-video throwaway title it could have been it’s a triumph, and also a turning point in the growth curve of Pixar itself. 

Guests:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

Neil Taylor of GameBurst

[Digital Gonzo 2011]

Released in 1995, this is one of the most significant animated movies of all time. Influential beyond belief and universally adored, for many very good reasons.

Guests

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

[Digital Gonzo 2011]

We’re back for the last Die Hard movie (for now). This time almost everyone from the original three is absent save for Bruce Willis himself and we struggle to locate our interest in what is otherwise a functional, but unrelated action flick.

We’re aided by some sterling musical accompaniment and at the end we bring in the big guns with Doctor Mark Kermode’s views on this particular waste of a sequel. There are also rants about the focus-grouped nature of this production, the PG-13 certificate, the subsequent lack of bite onscreen and why Willis needs to see a wigmaker and a vest-supplier.

Guests:

Nikki Taylor of GameBurst

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

[Digital Gonzo 2010]

The third Die Hard movie gets the Gonzo treatment. This time John McTiernan returns to bring the series back to greatness. We discuss how in many ways this is the equal of the original.

Guests:

Nikki Taylor of GameBurst

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

[Digital Gonzo 2011]

The 1990 sequel to Die Hard. You know the drill; airport in trouble, terrorists, gunfights. Experience firsthand what happens when the Gonzo format encounters a movie that’s actually just pretty mediocre. Tangents galore! Other movies, what made them good, anything to save us from traipsing through the minutia of this by-the-numbers late 80’s action movie.

There’s also some hilarious dubbing work from the TV edits.

Guests:

Nikki Taylor of GameBurst

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

[Digital Gonzo 2010]

In this first show, we discuss the Nakatomi incident, John and Holly’s relationship and Hans’ status as one of the greatest movie villains of all time. We also look at how immensely influential Die Hard has been both for action-thrillers and the portrayal of cinematic heroes.

Guests:

Nikki Taylor of GameBurst.

Mike Philips from The Fanboys Lunchcast,

Matthew Ramsey of GamerDork

[Digital Gonzo 2010]

This Western take on time travel is, at its core, a tender love story concerning a reclusive scientist meeting the first woman who takes a genuine interest in both him and what he does. There’s also a flying train. This is the sweetest and possibly most epic of these movies and examine what elements make this a prequel of sorts.

Guests:

James Batchelor of Bond and Beyond

Nikki Taylor of GameBurst

[Digital Gonzo 2010]

After last week’s brain-melting discussion on theoretical time travel we take more of a look at the movie’s production, the hurdles that Bob’s Zemekis and Gale had to leap to get this sequel made, the nightmarish tangent universe and the fascinating occurance, unique to this film alone, of going back to the events of the original and expanding upon them. 

This is possibly the least beloved of the BTTF trilogy and we’re here to talk about why it might be the most clever and inventive of the bunch.

Guests:

Nikki Taylor of GameBurst 

James Batchelor of Bond and Beyond